June 16, 2021 – National Turkey Lovers Month | National Fudge Day

This Bird Was Passed Over To Be The Symbol Of Our Nation, But It Still Has Its Own Fan Club.

Welcome to June 16th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a loveable bird and a profitable candy. 

When the Founding Fathers chose the American Eagle as the national bird of the United States, Ben Franklin wasn’t crazy about the idea. The outspoken intellectual thought it was a bad choice for many reasons, but mainly because the illustration of an eagle on the Presidential Seal made it look like a turkey. He joked that the turkey was “a Bird of Courage”that would not hesitate to attack any British soldiers who dared to step foot into their farm. Franklin’s point was made and the seal was edited to make the bird appear more like an eagle. June is National Turkey Lovers Month and while the bird was passed over as our Nation’s mascot, it’s still a go to protein for meat eaters and a formidable foe on the farm.  Celebrate your love for turkeys with a burger or a trip to the petting zoo depending on which camp you’re in. 

From her dorm room desk at Vassar College, Emelyn Hartridge wrote that a classmate’s cousin had sold a pound of fudge for 40 cents.  She hatched a plan to make up a batch for the Senior Auction that year and the entrepreneur spirit quickly spread.  Soon other women’s colleges developed their own recipes and by 1888 fudge fever was afoot.  Young women dodged curfew and cooked up the candy over gas lamps in their rooms.  It was seen as an indulgence, which may have fueled the rebellion.  But regardless of who cooked it up first, candy stores on Mackinac Island, Michigan put this treat on the map.  Today gift shops across the country carry all sorts of flavors and on National Fudge Day, it’s easy to celebrate the candy that still sells like hotcakes.  

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.